


Apple of My Eye

by wmblake



Series: Parkner Halloween Week 2019 [5]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Apples, Dorks, Dorks in Love, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Tennessee - Freeform, apple-picking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 10:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21242504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wmblake/pseuds/wmblake
Summary: Harley takes Peter apple-picking while they visit his family in Tennessee.





	Apple of My Eye

Peter smiled at Harley. The sun haloed his blond hair with the late afternoon light. He pushed a wheelbarrow through the orchard, Peter keeping pace beside him.

“Had you missed it?” Peter asked. “Being here?”

Harley glanced at him and shrugged. “Kind of.” He stopped at a tree, examining its branches. “New York doesn’t … it smells different, y’know? And, sure, there’s Central Park, but it’s so—artificial. No—free range—I dunno. Some things I missed, sure.”

Peter nodded.

“But there’s stuff I definitely haven’t missed,” he continued with a snort. “So don’t think you’re gettin’ rid of me any time soon.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Peter smiled. “You’ve grown on me. You know. Like a fungus,” he teased.

Harley rolled his eyes. “I’ll leave you here, city boy,” he threatened.

“No, you won’t. Not until we get the apples back to your mom, at least. And she, for one, cares about Southern hospitality.”

“Fine. So I won’t leave you out here. But I might lure you out into the cornfield after dark and leave you _there_ to fend for yourself.” Harley grinned. “But I do want you to help with the apple-pickin’, so I guess I’ll put up with you ‘til then.”

“Wow, it’s like you have the patience of a saint or something.” Peter snorted. “This tree good enough?” He looked up at its branches, heavy with apples.

Harley hummed. “Yeah, I think so.” He smiled. “Ready to climb?”

“You’re not gonna show me what to do?”

“I thought you were sticky? Tellin’ me you can’t climb a tree?”

Peter’s face soured. “I can climb just fine. But do I, like, individually pick the apples or like … shake the branches until they fall?”

“Whatever you think works better.” Harley grinned. “A genius like you could surely figure it out.”

Peter blushed, face warm despite the autumnal chill. “All right, fine.” He stuck his tongue out at Harley. “How many apples do we need?”

“As many as you can get?” Harley shrugged.

Peter rolled his eyes. He scurried up the tree trunk and perched on the lowest branch. Harley stared up at him, still smiling. Peter scoffed down at him.

“Want me to throw them at you so they don’t bruise landing in the wheelbarrow? If you can catch them, that is,” Peter teased.

“I can catch them.”

Peter grinned. Wrapping his legs around the branch, he reached for the closest apple hanging beneath him and tossed it to Harley. Peter let his knees, hooked around the branch, support him as he picked apple after apple, moving along the branch as they talked.

“Seems your spidey powers are useful even outside big cities,” Harley teased. “Good to know you’re good for somethin’.”

Peter snorted. “I might’ve been born and raised in the city, Harls, but I can function without skyscrapers around.”

“Thank God for it. Wouldn’t want you to always need a buildin’ to launch yourself off of.”

“You make it sound so much worse than it is. It’s not like I’m gonna fall. I always catch myself.”

Harley hummed. “Right. Yes. Definitely reassurin’. I’m not concerned at all with how you conduct your superhero life. No. Not one bit.”

“This is why Ned’s my man in the chair.” Peter rolled his eyes, smiling.

Harley mock-gasped. “I can’t believe you like him more than me. I thought we had somethin’ special.”

“Right, yeah, special. What would I do without you?”

“Live a sad and lonely life, I’m sure.”

“Disregarding that I’d still have Ned and MJ, plus Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts.”

“I get the old man in the divorce.”

Peter laughed, shaking his head. He tossed a couple more apples at Harley. “Not even split custody?”

“Maybe I could be convinced.” Harley grinned.

They kept an easy flow to the conversation as Peter picked apples, threw them to Harley, and moved up the tree. The air cooled as the afternoon went on, but they didn’t pay attention, instead laughing at each other, at jokes, teasing until it was almost sunset.

“I think that’s enough,” Harley said finally, the sun low in the sky. “Ma only needs enough to make pie for the whole town, after all.”

Peter, halfway up the tree, peered down. “Oh. All right.”

“It’s gettin’ kinda late, darlin’. Dinner’ll be soon.”

Peter nodded, climbing down to the lowest branch. He looked to the ground and then at Harley, a glint in his eye. “Catch me?”

“You’re the superhero. Why should I catch you?”

“Because I asked?”

Harley rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He moved the wheelbarrow and stood beneath Peter. “Trust me?”

“Of course.” Peter dropped from the branch and into Harley’s arms. Harley stepped back as he caught him, using his momentum to swing him around and set Peter down.

“Good?”

“Sort of.”

“Sort of—”

Peter hoisted Harley into his arms.

“Hey—what’re you doin’?!”

Peter laughed. “Trust me?” he echoed.

Harley narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, but you’re startin’ to make me regret that.”

Peter gave him a wink. He shifted him, holding Harley with one arm, and started climbing the tree again. Harley clung to him.

“Parker! What are you—”

“I won’t drop you.”

“You—you—I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

Harley scowled. “No, I don’t,” he agreed, resigned.

Peter beamed. He stopped on an upper branch, setting Harley beside him, closer to the tree trunk. “It’s beautiful here,” he said. “Thanks for bringing me.”

“… thanks for comin’ down with me.” Harley smiled. He bumped his shoulder into Peter’s and looked out at the farm. “… you’re what I would miss if I came back to Rose Hill.”

Peter blushed. “… I’d miss you too.” He stared at his hands, fidgeting.

Harley glanced at Peter, made an aborted reach for him—and hesitated. He bit his lip. “Uh …” Peter looked at him. He cracked a sheepish grin. “Did you know you’re the apple of my eye?”

Peter laughed. “That’s cute,” he teased. He paused—and then took Harley’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “You’re cute.”

“Aw, thanks, darlin’. So’re you.” Harley watched Peter a moment, as he turned to watch the sinking sun. A breeze swept through the wisps of Peter’s hair. His cheeks and nose were reddened by the cold. Harley smiled, lopsided, at him. “I’m … really glad you came down with me.” Peter looked to Harley as he continued, “Ma was—wantin’ to meet you, and …” He shrugged. “I’m happy you’re here.”

“I’m happy to be here. With you.” Peter smiled. He kissed Harley’s cheek. “We should head in soon. It’s getting kind of cold.”

“Help me down?” Harley asked with a grin. Peter rolled his eyes, but he had Harley hold on from behind him this time, his legs around Peter’s waist, and climbed down. “Thanks,” Harley said once his feet touched the ground. “But before we head inside …”

Harley crowded Peter against the tree trunk. He cupped Peter’s face in his hands, slow and gentle. Peter smiled, tipping his head up. “This supposed to help with the cold?” he murmured. Harley hummed.

“Yep. Definitely. That’s the whole motivation behind—”

Peter rolled his eyes and pressed his lips to Harley’s. “Then shut up and kiss me, idiot,” he said. Harley, threading a hand through Peter’s hair, happily obliged.


End file.
